CALIPSO: Cloud and Aerosol Layer Data from Satellite Lidar

CALIPSO satellite data provides observations of cloud and aerosol layers to study their impact on Earth's radiation budget and climate. The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) mission is a joint project between NASA and the French space agency CNES, launched on April 28, 2006. It flies as part of the international 'A-Train' satellite constellation for coincident Earth observations.

Use Cases

• Modeling climate forcing based on cloud and aerosol layer properties.
• Studying atmospheric composition and structure using lidar-derived layer data.
• Validating climate models with coincident satellite observations from the A-Train constellation.

Strengths

• Data originates from a well-documented, long-running joint NASA-CNES satellite mission launched in 2006.
• Observations are coordinated as part of the multi-satellite A-Train constellation for coincident data collection.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the CALIPSO spacecraft's CALIOP lidar, IIR radiometer, and WFC camera.

Time Range

Observations began after the satellite's launch on April 28, 2006.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 20:19:11.053420; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage from satellite orbit.